The Darkroom raises prices

shutterboy · Jul 1, 2014

Was pretty unhappy to note that The Darkroom has raised prices by 10%. One more reason why I will never send any C-41 stuff to them. A big shout out to Millers Lab who does C-41 at little over 2$ a roll for 120 and 135-24 and 4$ a roll for 135-36. And that *includes* the shipping. The only restriction they have is the minimum order quantity which is 10$. I wish they did E-6 for which I still have to depend on The Darkroom and likes.

Scans are not mandatory (unlike The Darkroom) and are 5$ a roll.

Also, they have no option of just film processing. They push the low quality scan down my throat

http://www.millerslab.com/filmservices/pricing

summicron1 · Jul 1, 2014

everyone's gotta make a living, shutterboy...i haven't seen their work, if the quality is not up to snuff, try those guys in kansa, dwayne's. they did a nice job on the two rolls i sent them last month.

shutterboy · Jul 1, 2014

summicron1 said:
everyone's gotta make a living, shutterboy...i haven't seen their work, if the quality is not up to snuff, try those guys in kansa, dwayne's. they did a nice job on the two rolls i sent them last month.

Completely agree. But, what pisses me off is, they push the scan with their processing which is a huge waste of money for me since I have my scanner which does a better job than their scanner. Also, if you see, Dwayne's offer just roll processing, however their handling fee is kind of outrageous. Still I applaud them for giving the customer the flexibility to choose what he/she needs.

Tom1956 · Jul 1, 2014

These have been the most inflationary past several years in my lifetime. I'll not comment further, other than to say that I'm more than annoyed with it. Perhaps one can guess the causes of this period of inflation without my spelling it out. But don't look for any news of inflation by the cheerleaders in the media. Just do the best you can to deal with it till some changes can be made.

Xmas · Jul 1, 2014

My problem is raw c41 chemicals (the colour developer) are getting expensive and difficult here my next purchase needs to be from Germany.

It is easy to process yourself with a changing bag, plastic tank electric kettle and washing up bowl.

Or use mono.

snapguy · Jul 1, 2014

play

You wanna play, you gotta pay. I'm amazed any of these companies waste their time with film. But I am grateful to them. If you don't wanna shell out the big bucks, buy a rowboat, not a yacht.

darkosaric · Jul 1, 2014

Home developing. I use B&W for 99% of time, but tried recently to develop C41 in RA4 chemistry (according to instruction from David Lyga). It works like a charm - some minimal color offset - easy fixed in print or scan stage. With real C41 set it can be only better.

bsdunek · Jul 1, 2014

snapguy said:
You wanna play, you gotta pay. I'm amazed any of these companies waste their time with film. But I am grateful to them. If you don't wanna shell out the big bucks, buy a rowboat, not a yacht.

That's my thought too. There are other labs, so one can take their pick of who gives them the best deal on what they want. I like The Darkroom. I get the low res scans so I can put them on the web and my site when I want. I also like the fact they will do the odd film sizes. I like to play with 110, and as I don't do the color processing myself, they do a fine job.

Pay your money and take your choice. I'm just glad to have one more film processing lab still in business.

Xmas · Jul 1, 2014

Tom1956 said:
These have been the most inflationary past several years in my lifetime. I'll not comment further, other than to say that I'm more than annoyed with it. Perhaps one can guess the causes of this period of inflation without my spelling it out. But don't look for any news of inflation by the cheerleaders in the media. Just do the best you can to deal with it till some changes can be made.

The labs will be hurt by volume reduction and raw chemical costs.
In London there used to be 24/7 colour labs.
Now if they dont have the volume per shift they need they will be purging the processors more often etc. They still need to pay the staff.
There are normally c41 mini labs within walking or omnibus distance, but they may be waiting for enough films to start up a batch.
They had 20 minute turn around no premium in '06 even in Birmingham (UK) on Sunday but only one shift.
It will increase by more than retail inflation as volume drops further.

Ghostman · Jul 1, 2014

shutterboy said:
Was pretty unhappy to note that The Darkroom has raised prices by 10%. One more reason why I will never send any C-41 stuff to them. A big shout out to Millers Lab who does C-41 at little over 2$ a roll for 120 and 135-24 and 4$ a roll for 135-36. And that *includes* the shipping. The only restriction they have is the minimum order quantity which is 10$. I wish they did E-6 for which I still have to depend on The Darkroom and likes.

Scans are not mandatory (unlike The Darkroom) and are 5$ a roll.

Also, they have no option of just film processing. They push the low quality scan down my throat

http://www.millerslab.com/filmservices/pricing

1st World Problems.

In Switzerland it'll cost you:

$9 to C-41 develop 1 roll of 120 film
$29 scan 1 roll of film @ 1100dpi

How are you feeling about your prices now?

pentaxuser · Jul 1, 2014

shutterboy said:
A big shout out to Millers Lab who does C-41 at little over 2$ a roll for 120 and 135-24 and 4$ a roll for 135-36. And that *includes* the shipping.
http://www.millerslab.com/filmservices/pricing

In Europe as Ghostman has said these would be the equivalent of "charity" prices available for the poor and needy members of society. A 120 film for the equivalent of £1.20 including postage is simply amazing. If the local lab did C41 for these prices my Jobo processor might be on e-bay

pentaxuser

darkosaric · Jul 1, 2014

Ghostman said:
1st World Problems.

This reminded me on Louis CK and his "White People Problems"

http://videosift.com/video/Louis-CK-White-People-Problems

shutterboy · Jul 1, 2014

pentaxuser said:
In Europe as Ghostman has said these would be the equivalent of "charity" prices available for the poor and needy members of society. A 120 film for the equivalent of £1.20 including postage is simply amazing. If the local lab did C41 for these prices my Jobo processor might be on e-bay

pentaxuser

If you think it makes sense, then we can lobby Millers to do something about UK customers. Obviously the shipping would be higher. But we can see what can be done about it.

mweintraub · Jul 1, 2014

Miller's lab is my lab now. I love their proof prints. It's great getting prints back when you get a roll processed... There is just something about that. Of course I scan them myself, but the prints are still affordable.

CatLABS · Jul 1, 2014

shutterboy said:
Was pretty unhappy to note that The Darkroom has raised prices by 10%. One more reason why I will never send any C-41 stuff to them. A big shout out to Millers Lab who does C-41 at little over 2$ a roll for 120 and 135-24 and 4$ a roll for 135-36. And that *includes* the shipping. The only restriction they have is the minimum order quantity which is 10$. I wish they did E-6 for which I still have to depend on The Darkroom and likes.

Scans are not mandatory (unlike The Darkroom) and are 5$ a roll.

Also, they have no option of just film processing. They push the low quality scan down my throat

http://www.millerslab.com/filmservices/pricing

Thats good to know that they charge 2$, but other then taking your word for it, their pricing is an industrial secret, as was discussed at length on 2 other threads in the past....

The cost of C41 when done at home is just under 50 cents per roll (and less if you do larger amounts of film), and after you do your own films (and save the cost of shipping, and hearache when films get lost in shipping), and realize how bad labs are, the money savings aspect looses its meaning.

CatLABS · Jul 1, 2014

Xmas said:
My problem is raw c41 chemicals (the colour developer) are getting expensive and difficult here my next purchase needs to be from Germany.

It is easy to process yourself with a changing bag, plastic tank electric kettle and washing up bowl.

Or use mono.

http://www.firstcall-photographic.c...nal-colortec-c-41-rapid-negative-kit-5-litres

shutterboy · Jul 1, 2014

CatLABS said:
Thats good to know that they charge 2$, but other then taking your word for it, their pricing is an industrial secret, as was discussed at length on 2 other threads in the past....

The cost of C41 when done at home is just under 50 cents per roll (and less if you do larger amounts of film), and after you do your own films (and save the cost of shipping, and hearache when films get lost in shipping), and realize how bad labs are, the money savings aspect looses its meaning.

Every time I have ordered from Miller's I have been always delighted by the quality of stuff they deliver. But leaving everything else apart, I strongly object to the fact that The Darkroom bundles the scans. I DON'T NEED SCANS. PERIOD.

I wish I can afford a Jobo sometime in the near future. CatLABS, you have awesome pricing, but too much for a student.

Xmas · Jul 1, 2014

CatLABS said:
http://www.firstcall-photographic.c...nal-colortec-c-41-rapid-negative-kit-5-litres

Thanks but they only seem to do kits I make up from raw chemicals.
I can still get them but no longer from my local brick shop.

http://www.silverprint.co.uk/ProductByGroup.asp?PrGrp=49

Noel

CatLABS · Jul 1, 2014

shutterboy said:
Every time I have ordered from Miller's I have been always delighted by the quality of stuff they deliver. But leaving everything else apart, I strongly object to the fact that The Darkroom bundles the scans. I DON'T NEED SCANS. PERIOD.

I wish I can afford a Jobo sometime in the near future. CatLABS, you have awesome pricing, but too much for a student.

Any processor you get will have paid for it self after the first several hundred rolls of film put through it (depending on your lab cost ).

Xmas · Jul 1, 2014

An electric kettle and a plastic basin are cheaper and C41 is quick.

Jeff Kubach · Jul 1, 2014

I used Darkroom a few tmes, they seem to be OK.

Jeff

Ektagraphic · Jul 1, 2014

I second your shoutout to Miller's Lab! I have never been disappointed with my color processing from them!

ME Super · Jul 1, 2014

I'm lucky, I guess. I get C-41 processed through my local camera store for about $7/roll ($11/roll for 36exp. E-6). Add $6.75 and two business days if I want push/pull processing. I get decent 6MP scans for an additional $2.99/roll at time of developing. I've never had turnaround slower than a week. I can get the E-6 done cheaper through Wal-Mart, but then I can't get the scans, just develop and mount.

These are all 35mm. I made the mistake of having the local Walgreen's develop and scan a roll of C-41 because I was in a hurry. Never again, the scans were horrible and so was the developing.

shutterboy · Jul 2, 2014

Walmart does E-6? Thats nice. How do you get back the slides and how much do they charge? Also, what is the turn around time?

Xmas · Jul 2, 2014

pentaxuser said:
Don't let Simon Galley hear you say this. Once tariff barriers disappear, B&H or some other big U.S. importer of Ilford products will simply re-export direct to customers in the U.K. or direct to retailers and we'll have a level playing field for prices which is a shocking state to be in .

It might however put a dent in Ilford's profits. Will we still be the 51st State if Ilford needs to raise prices all round to compensate?

Of course it might be that Ilford's prices to U.K. retailers and to its U.S. retailers aren't much different. In that case B&H will keep the U.K. retailers honest by direct sales to U.K. customers.

Sounds like a win/win situation to me.

pentaxuser

Nope it is already cheaper to import film from USA if you make a bulk buy to amortized the carriage...
You guys are worrying about the politics and economics.
Ilford and Kodak have been bankrupt once already...
Fuji are terminating film options and dumping film...
Lessons on playing fiddle better?

The Darkroom raises prices

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